Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the first day of the first half (night start with darkness - waning) of the lunar month of Phalguna. The festival commemorates the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion of Shiva performing his ritual dance called tandava.

It is a notable festival in Hinduism, marking a remembrance of "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in life and the world. It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, and meditating on ethics and virtues such as honesty, non-injury to others, charity, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva. Ardent devotees stay awake throughout this night. Others visit one of the Shiva temples or go on a pilgrimage to the Jyotirlingams. The festival is believed to have originated in 5th century BCE.

In Kashmir Shaivism, the festival is called Har-ratri or phonetically simpler Haerath or Herath by Shiva devotees of the Kashmir region.

Etymology

The term Maha Shivaratri (Sanskrit: महाशिवरात्रि) is a compound of three Sanskrit elements: maha ("great"), Shiva (the Hindu deity), and ratri ("night"). The literal meaning is "the Great Night of Shiva." The festival is observed annually on the krishna paksha (waning moon) chaturdashi (14th lunar day) of the month of Magha or Phalguna In the Amanta lunar calendar, where a Lunar month ends on the new moon day (Amavasiya), the date falls in the month of Magha. In the Purnimanta lunar calendar, where a Lunar month ends on the full moon day (Purnima), the same lunar day of Maha Shivaratri is reckoned as occurring in Phalguna. Despite the difference in month name, the festival is observed on the same lunar night across India.

Monthly Shivaratri

Shivaratri ("Night of Shiva") refers to the monthly observance that falls on the 14th night (chaturdashi) of every lunar fortnight during the waning phase of the moon. Each lunar month therefore contains one Shivaratri. Devotees observe fasting, night vigil (jagarana), and worship of the linga on these days. Thus, Maha Shivaratri may be understood as the "great" or preeminent Shivaratri among the twelve monthly Shivaratris in a lunar year.

Other names

In Kashmir, Shivaratri is referred to as Herath (Kashmiri: हेरथ / ہیرَتھ). The name is commonly understood to derive from "Har Ratri" ("Night of Hara"), Hara being a name of Shiva. In the Kashmiri Pandit tradition, the observance of Herath expands beyond a single night and spans approximately twenty-three days, beginning with Hur-e-Okdoh (the first day of the dark fortnight of the Purnimanta month of Phaguna) and concluding on Teel-e-aetham (the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Phagun).

Maha Shivratri is also known as Padmarajarathri (पद्मराजरात्रि), a sacred night dedicated to Lord Shiva, observed with fasting, prayers, and night-long worship by devotees.

Origins

Textual origins

The origin of Maha Shivaratri is mentioned mainly in Puranic literature. One of the first mentions appears in the Shiva Purana, which links the story of the hunter Gurudruha with Shivaratri. The story of Gurudruha, who is also referred to as Lubdhaka, is later found in the Javanese didactic text Siwaratrikalpa, which is dated to being composed between 1466 and 1478. The festival is also mentioned in the Linga Purana and the Skanda Purana.

Archeological origins

According to some scholars, the Lubdhaka (hunter) legend associated with Maha Shivaratri may find it's roots in the Indus Valley Civilization.Archaeological evidence such as the Pashupati seal has been widely interpreted by researchers as indicating early forms of Shiva or proto-Shaiva worship. Archaeologist Gregory Possehl identified at least eighteen examples of a recurring "human and tiger" motif in Harappan glyptic art from sites including Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, and Chanhu-daro. These seals closely resemble the story of Gurudruha (Lubdhaka) that appears in the Shiva Purana.

Rituals

Maha Shivaratri is particularly important in the Shaivism tradition of Hinduism. Unlike most Hindu festivals that are celebrated during the day, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated at night. It is a festival notable for its introspective focus, fasting, meditation on Shiva and an all-night vigil at Shiva temples.

Night vigil (Jagarana)

The celebration includes maintaining a jagarana, an all-night vigil and prayers, because Shaiva Hindus mark this night as "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in one's life and the world through Shiva. In temples, the night is divided into four quarters (praharas), each with its own ritual worship and singing of mantras Offerings of fruits, leaves, sweets and milk are made to Shiva, some perform all-day fasting with Vedic or Tantric worship of Shiva, and some perform meditative yoga. The injunctions from the Kalanirnaya of Madhvacharya are also followed during the Jagarana

Fasting

In Shaivism, fasting is traditionally associated with Shiva worship. It is customary for the devotees of Shiva not to eat anything until they worship him and make him offerings. On most of the days, devotees do not fast for a whole day because the worship is performed in the early morning. However, on the day of Maha Shivaratri, they wait because the worship continues late into the night.

During the fast, Iodized salt is completely avoided, and instead, food is prepared using rock salt or unrefined sea salt (sendha namak). Those fasting may do "nirjala vrat," (fasting from all food and water), or fast from meat, eating only fruits and milk during the day. Eating food made from rice, wheat, or pulses is also discouraged. Tamasik foods such as onion, garlic, and alcohol are also avoided as they are believed to increase lethargy. The fast is broken on the next day (chaturdashi) after taking a bath.

Puja and abhisheka

Ritual worship (puja) of the lingam is the central religious act of Maha Shivaratri. Devotees offer water, milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and other sacred substances in the ritual known as abhisheka. Coconut water is generally avoided for the abhisheka, as it becomes "nirmalaya" (leftover of an offering) after being offered, and therefore becomes unconsumable. More than 49 types of plant species from 34 families are used as offerings to the deity throughout various regions of India on Maha Shivaratri. However, leaves of the bilva (Aegle marmelos), considered sacred to Shiva, are the most commonly offered plants.

Fairs (Melas)

Many regions in India and Nepal observe Maha Shivaratri not only through temple worship and fasting, but also through large public fairs (melas) and pilgrimage gatherings at important Shaiva sacred sites. One of the most prominent gatherings takes place at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, where Maha Shivaratri is among the largest annual religious festivals. Thousands of devotees, including ascetics and sadhus from across South Asia, assemble at the temple complex to perform night vigils, offer bilva leaves, and participate in ritual bathing in the nearby Bagmati River.

Legends

The Maha Shivaratri is mentioned in several Puranas, particularly the Skanda Purana, Linga Purana, and Padma Purana. These medieval era Shaiva texts present different versions associated with this festival, such as fasting, and offering reverence to a lingam—an emblematic figure of Shiva.

Different legends describe the significance of Maha Shivaratri. According to one legend in the Shaivism tradition, this is the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction. The chanting of hymns, the reading of Shiva scriptures and the chorus of devotees joins this cosmic dance and remembers Shiva's presence everywhere. According to another legend, this is the night when Shiva and Parvati got married. A different legend states the offering to Shiva icons, such as the linga, is an annual occasion to overcome any past sins, to restart on a virtuous path, and thereby reach Mount Kailasha for liberation. It is also believed that on this particular day, Shiva gulped the Halahala produced during the Samudra Manthana and held it in his neck, which bruised and turned blue. As a result, he acquired the epithet Nilakantha. It is also believed that the famous Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is the place where this incident took place.

The significance of dance tradition to this festival has historical roots. The Maha Shivaratri has served as a historic confluence of artists for annual dance festivals at major Hindu temples such as at Konark, Khajuraho, Pattadakal, Modhera and Chidambaram. This event is called Natyanjali, literally "worship through dance", at the Chidambaram temple which is famous for its sculpture depicting all dance mudras in the ancient Hindu text of performance arts called Natya Shastra. Similarly, at Khajuraho Shiva temples, a major fair and dance festival on Maha Shivaratri, involving Shaiva pilgrims camped over miles around the temple complex, was documented by Alexander Cunningham in 1864.